Is Masturbation a sin?

[Messy]

But my real question is, is it a sin if you do it and not look at porn. Because I do touch but I don't don't look at other women.

Yes I just had a demon of lust kicked out.
When I was 18 or so I thought it was no sin but I read a book that said you give yourself over to a demon of lust.

 

[Cearbhall]

Masturbation creates lust and that's a sin. It's that simple.

I'm pretty sure people touch because of lust.

 

[High Fidelity]

I'm pretty sure people touch because of lust.

No doubt it's a result at times, but perpetuating and compounding that lust through masturbation isn't the answer or any more acceptable regardless of if it's a reactionary instance.

 

[Cearbhall]

No doubt it's a result at times, but perpetuating and compounding that lust through masturbation isn't the answer or any more acceptable regardless of if it's a reactionary instance.

I don't see how it increases lust. It's a form of release that makes the lust go away (for a time). If you think that the act of releasing in and of itself is sinful, as the Catholic Church does, then I understand, but I don't see how masturbation adds to the problem if the desire is the issue.

 

[High Fidelity]

I don't see how it increases lust. It's a form of release that makes the lust go away (for a time). If you think that the act of releasing in and of itself is sinful, as the Catholic Church does, then I understand, but I don't see how masturbation adds to the problem if the desire is the issue.

Because masturbating without creating lust is like thinking you can walk on eggshells without breaking any.

 

[Cearbhall]

Because masturbating without creating lust is like thinking you can walk on eggshells without breaking any.

An analogy doesn't really help me understand how masturbating can be the cause of lust rather than the effect. If you don't want to elaborate because it's an explicit topic, that's fine.

Does lusting refer specifically to desiring a person, separate from natural and inevitable sexual urges? I could understand, then, how you might say that masturbating to satisfy the urges can lead to fantasies that wouldn't have been created otherwise.

 

[High Fidelity]

An analogy doesn't really help me understand how masturbating can be the cause of lust rather than the effect. If you don't want to elaborate because it's an explicit topic, that's fine.

Does lusting refer specifically to desiring a person, separate from natural and inevitable sexual urges? I could understand, then, how you might say that masturbating to satisfy the urges can lead to fantasizing that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

I struggle to see how someone can touch without experience lust. We can't really stop the mind from working, especially subconsciously.

 

[Cearbhall]

I struggle to see how someone can touch without experience lust. We can't really stop the mind from working, especially subconsciously.

I agree. We wouldn't touch if we didn't have sexual urges. However, you're claiming that masturbation increases lust.

 

[High Fidelity]

I agree. We wouldn't touch if we didn't have sexual urges. However, you're claiming that masturbation increases lust.

I am, yes.

Not only does it increase it but it compounds the problem with lust in itself.

 

[Cearbhall]

Not only does it increase it but it compounds the problem with lust in itself.

That's where we disagree, at least in some cases. But that's fine. I just wanted clarification. I don't personally have any objection to masturbation.

 

[HexidecimalInput]

Who would it be a sin against?

You? How?

If you're a healthy young male and everything works, if you do not touch, your body will still release what it needs to release. When it does, it's also likely to be accompanied by all kinds of images normally thought of as pornographic.

If this is lust in the evil sense and it's a sin, then most of us are doomed.

 

[KitKatMatt]

Saying masturbation causes someone to lust more is like saying eating causes you to be more hungry.

You're sating a hunger when you eat and when you touch. Afterward, that hunger goes away for a while. If you don't eat for a while, you will start to feel irritable and probably have some pain in your stomach. For many people, not sating their sexual hunger for a while can cause physical discomfort and irritability. Sate the hunger, and that will go away until your body cycles and needs something again.

 

[Dave-W]

I was using the NWT but here are a few from various other Bible translations. The scripture is Colossians 3:5

The "New World Translation" is not a good source.

The NASB reads thus:

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

And the Tree of Life Version (which reads even closer to NA 27 than the NASB) reads:
5 Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—for that is idolatry.
BUT - you are making the assumption that masturbation comes under the heading "immorality." You have to prove that first before applying this scripture.

(Mortify means to deny, subdue, or control)

No - "mortify" means to kill. It is from the latin mors mortis meaning dead.

God has provided marriage as the sole arrangement in which to satisfy sexual desires.

That is also not proved. It is an opinion. You have a lot of scripture to wade thru and deal with to prove this point; including PROVING the marital status of Shulamite in every chapter of the Song of Solomon.

 

[Dave-W]

Saying masturbation causes someone to lust more is like saying eating causes you to be more hungry.

Of course, eating causes you to be hungry. If you don't eat anything for several months, you will not get hungry ever again. You will be dead.

 

[GrimKingGrim]

Such a silly question.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't see how lust has much of anything to do with masturbation. Lust in the Bible when lust is used in a sexual context is lusting after another man's wife.
being sexually aroused is never condemned in the Bible wither the person is single or married that I can find. So I can't find where masturbation is condemned and I can't only finds thoughts that are about taking an other man's wife condemned when one is masturbating.
So it seems like just using lust to include all sexual thoughts, as it sounds to me like some are doing is adding a whole lot of things to the Bible that the Bible doesn't say.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Who would it be a sin against?

You? How?

If you're a healthy young male and everything works, if you do not touch, your body will still release what it needs to release. When it does, it's also likely to be accompanied by all kinds of images normally thought of as pornographic.

If this is lust in the evil sense and it's a sin, then most of us are doomed.

I'm guessing it's a sin against God. He doesn't seem to like it too much when we do things we enjoy for no reason other than because we enjoy them.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't see this being what God is about at all. God loves for us to celebrate all that he has done for us. This is what praise is all about.
If God just wanted sex to be about reproduction then he didn't have to make sex so pleasurable. After all most of us would only have sex a few times in our life time and we wouldn't really need it to be pleasureable at all.

Food tastes so good, the sun on our face is very pelasurable, along with music, dancing, fellowship and so many more things. I say God loves us a whole when me do things he created for us to enjoy.

I'm guessing it's a sin against God. He doesn't seem to like it too much when we do things we enjoy for no reason other than because we enjoy them.

 

[Dave-W]

being sexually aroused is never condemned in the Bible wither the person is single or married that I can find. So I can't find where masturbation is condemned and I can't only finds thoughts that are about taking an other man's wife condemned when one is masturbating. So it seems like just using lust to include all sexual thoughts, as it sounds to me like some are doing is adding a whole lot of things to the Bible that the Bible doesn't say.

And they have the gall to condemn the pharisees for adding to the commandments .......

 

[Dave-W]

I'm guessing it's a sin against God. He doesn't seem to like it too much when we do things we enjoy for no reason other than because we enjoy them.

And from the Jewish perspective (from the BC sages Hillel and Shammai) to NOT enjoy a pleasure that God has made/provided is in itself a grevious sin.